History and development of Irish population censuses

Abstract

This year, 1991, was a Census year and marked one hundred and fifty years since the "Great Population Census" of 1841 was taken. I thought an appropriate way to remember that historic event would be to look briefly at the history of Census taking in Ireland over one and one-half centuries, including the pre-1841 period, but with particular emphasis on 1841 itself. My task would have been impossible without the invaluable help received from CSO, particularly from Mr Aidan Punch. My topic is very appropriate for this Society given the statistical and social inquiry aspects of the Census and the close association with the Society of those charged with responsibility for the national Censuses throughout the whole period of the Society's existence whether as Census Commissioner, Registrar-General or Director of Statistics. It is worthy of notice that at the founding in 1847 of the Dublin Statistical Society (which subsequently blossomed into the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland) one of the vice-presidents was Capt. Thomas A. Larcom who acted as a temporary Commissioner for the 1841 Census and was, it would seem, its chief architect (Black, Millin).